Best Low Usage Credit Cards With Rewards, No Annual Fee

Monica KowollikFebruary 5, 2018

Best Low Usage Credit Cards With Rewards for Low Spenders

Do you have a credit card just for emergencies or are you a person who rarely uses their credit card? If so, does your credit card have an annual fee? How do you justify it? Ideally, you may be better suited for a credit card with no annual fee. This way, you won’t have to justify spending money for a card you barely use. CreditFast will go over some of the best low usage credit cards that both offer rewards and no annual fee.

A rewards credit card is an excellent option. This way if you do use it, you’ll earn rewards even if it is only a few times per year. You also want to ensure that your rewards don’t expire and you can let them add up. This is a tall order, finding a rewards card that fits the perfect criteria for frugal spenders. But, it’s entirely possible, and we’ve rounded up the best low usage credit cards.

Chase Freedom® Credit Card

The first card on our list that is perfect for low spenders is by Chase. The Chase Freedom® Credit Card offers several cardholder perks, no matter how often you use the card. For the first 15 months, you’ll pay a 0% APR. So, if you do make purchases at this time, you won’t have to worry about interest. You can pay it off within 15 months with no additional charges.

It also has a decent rewards rate no matter how much or how little you use it. Each quarter, different rewards categories give you 5% cash back rewards. You will get 1% back on everything else. These rewards also never expire so that you can stack them. Even if you redeem them once a year, it can add up.

Finally, this card comes with no annual fee, ever. As a low spender, this is a huge perk. You won’t have to worry about trying to justify an annual fee. For a rewards card, this is a significant advantage, and it makes the rewards even better.

Citi® Double Cash Card

The Citi® Double Cash Card is another excellent option for low spenders. You get 2% cash back on everything, and there is no keeping track of rotating categories. The rewards program is also very flexible. You only have to earn $25 before you can redeem them. You get a choice of a check, a gift card, or a balance credit. These rewards expire every 12 months, so make sure you redeem them.

You get price rewind as well to further savings. Once you buy something, register it with Citi. They’ll search for 60 days for a lower price. If they find it, you’ll get the difference as a statement credit. The Double Cash Purchase Protection Program is another perk. Citi will refund you for lost or damaged items up to $50,000 per year. For these two reasons using a credit card in this circumstance will protect your purchase and potentially add additional discounts. It’s very easy to get approved, and you get first late payment forgiveness. All of this adds up to savings versus paying cash.

Blue Cash Everyday® Card

American Express’s Blue Cash Everyday® Card is another great choice for frugal cardholders. For certain supermarkets, you get 3% cash back for every purchase. This caps at $6,000 per year before it starts over. You also get 2% cash back for any gas station and department store purchases. Even if you don’t spend a lot, this adds up.

For the first 12 months, you won’t pay any APR as an introductory offer. If you spend $1,000 in the first three months, you get a $100 statement credit. If you plan to transfer a balance to pay it off, you’ll get a $0 balance transfer fee as well. All of these smaller things add up to money in your pocket. It’s an especially good choice if you spend the most money on everyday staples.

Discover it® Secured Card

For people with a low credit score or no credit score, the Discover it® Secured Card is for you. For just a $200 refundable deposit, you can be on your way to establishing your credit. This means that as long as you demonstrate responsible use over a seven month period, you’ll get your deposit back. All you have to do is make your payments on time. The Discover secured credit card reports to the credit bureaus each month as well. There is no annual fee with this secured card. This cash back rewards card allows low spending individuals with no credit or bad credit to build their credit score.

The Discover it® Secured Card is unique because it gives cardholders access to their credit score. You can monitor it once a month for free, so you can see it improve. This also allows you to monitor for problems. You’ll know right away if fraudulent charges appear on your account, and it’s easier to fix them. You can see why CreditFast has named this secured credit card as one of our best low usage credit cards. The Discover secured card made the Credit Fast best 3 secured credit cards list.

Bottom Line in Finding the Best Low Usage Credit Cards

Each of these credit card applications brings something a little different to the table. But, for frugal cardholders, they can be the perfect backup. If you run short on cash or have an emergency, you’ll have a way out. In addition to this, they’re excellent credit building tools for people with low or no credit. If you’re a cardholder that rarely uses their card, look into these best low usage credit cards. They can save you money, no matter how much you use them each year.

CreditFast has reviewed the best reward credit cards on the market. Some of the credit card offers are from our advertising partners. CreditFast has objectively reviewed the features and benefits of each reward credit card. We have chosen credit card offers based on our editor’s recommendations.

Monica has covered credit card and personal finance news for over 15 years. From an early age, she developed an interest in financial literacy and saving money. Monica hopes to help others to improve their personal finances one article at a time.